The Infection
by Oni-Panda379
Summary: Lily Evans just started her sixth year and there was something very strange going on at Hogwarts… What could have possibly happened over summer holidays could have changed some of the nastiest people? She had to know.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Harry_ _Potter_ by J.K. Rowling! Had the series been mine, it never would have made it through the rough draft stage! Let's be thankful that I indeed do NOT own Harry Potter!**

**Chapter 1**

** T**

"Sorry ter toss yeh out like that mate, but Bert said yeh're too pissed to stay. He doesn't want another brawl on his tables," said Doyle the doorman. He looked at his favorite regular with smidgen of sympathy before giving him a good shove on the back.

Tobias Snape grunted as he stumbled then fell onto the pavement outside of the local pub. He tried to roll over onto his back a few times but quickly gave up, letting his face rest on the cold cement instead.

"Bert is a right annoyin' ol' wanker," Tobias slurred into the ground.

Maybe he _did_ have too much to drink, but he sure as hell wasn't going to admit that to Doyle. He hated being told what he was or what he wasn't. It was his decision on how plastered he really was.

Doyle shook his head, a grin spilt his beefy face, showing heavily yellowed and crooked teeth.

"Don't go passing out on the stoop again Toby, ya hear me?" He gave Tobias' booted foot a kick, indicating for him to get up and move.

"Aye. I hear yeh." Tobias sighed heavily.

Tobias staggered up onto his feet. He gave Doyle a wave before teetering down the sidewalk. He probably would have just stayed out front of the pub. He really didn't have anywhere else he wanted to be right now anyways... But last time he slept on the stoop he was booted from the pub a whole week.

He didn't want to go through that rubbish again.

Lost in his drunken stupor and dread of going home, Tobias hadn't been paying much attention to where he was going. He tripped over a crack in the side walk.

"Aw, damnit!"

He rolled out onto the cobbled street. Again laying sprawled out on his belly. He didn't move for several moments, seriously contemplating just sleeping out here on the street. It's not like he had anything on him worth mugging.

"Nah, she'd jus' bitch about that too. Along with everyfin else," he grumbled to himself.

He was about to lift himself up when something caught his eye. A strange little bug crawled into his line of vision. The hell is that? He thought to himself. The little critter looked a lot like an ordinary caterpillar to him but it had a strange glow about it.

"Wot's up with that? Did yeh fall into that river? I just' _knew _it was radioactive!"

He watched it as it came closer to his face. The little critter completely mesmerized his booze hazed mind with its meandering movements. He's never once seen anything like it in his life. Maybe he could sell it or—

"Lookie there! Another one! Tis yer little lass, aye?"

He must have really been sloshed. Here he was laid out on the street talking to glowy bugs. He was going to have one hell of a hangover tomorrow.

Letting out a long sigh, Tobias pushed himself up, this time only wobbling a little. He smiled at his small victory. He didn't have a whole lot to be proud of these days after all.

He looked down at the ground. There were the bugs again but this time they multiplied into four, all gathered around his feet.

Curious little things they were, he thought. Tobias tipped an imaginary hat to the bugs. "Pleasant company yeh were but now I gotta head home to the Misses." He grimaced at the thought.

He took a moment to let his current situation sink in, he couldn't help but laugh. If anyone saw him talking to some strange insects they would think him mad. Maybe someone would be kind enough to check him into a loony bin. Then maybe he'd have a lot more preferable company.

He whistled some old drinking tune as he ambled down the street. He barely made it to the end of the street before something stung the back of his neck.

"The hell was that?" He rubbed at a spot on the back of his neck, there was a lump there. Was it a bee? He didn't hear any buzzing, besides his own head. He was starting to feel kind of funny. Maybe he was having an allergic reaction.

"It's prolly nofin'. I'll get it checked out some other time."

He continued the trek home, still rubbing at the lump.

** T**

Severus Snape watched his mother pace back and forth through the living room, muttering to herself about Muggles and their stupid vices. His father was late. Again. He probably passed out drunk in some gutter. Severus got up from his seat on the stairs. He didn't feel like waiting up for the fool to show his face.

He just reached the top step when he heard the door open and his mother's angry greeting being cut short. Wand clutched tightly in his hand he raced back down. He almost tripped on the last step at what he saw. He stared with wide eyes and mouth gaping. What is going on here? He thought.

His father had mother in a tight embrace, snogging her senseless!

It's not like he's _never_ seen then kiss but, it was a rare and very disturbing sight. Severus shook himself out of his daze. He didn't know what was going on but as long as it didn't wake him up late in the night, he'd be okay. He just turned around when a pair of arms circled around his waist, pinning his arms to his sides.

"My dear little boy, give yer Pa a hug!" Tobias snuggled his son close.

_"What are you doing old man? _Let me go!_" _

Severus tried to struggle out of the grip but it was just too strong. He could smell a bit of alcohol on his father's clothes but it didn't stink on his breath. He couldn't turn around and look at him in the eyes.

"I said let me go!" Severus demanded.

Tobias finally set Severus back on his feet, patting him on the head like a child.

"Ye're a good lad, Sevvy."

Severus whipped around to stare at him in shock. But the loon just smiled at him serenely. Severus stared at him in the eye for a long moment. He wasn't drunk, his eyes were clear of any haze. Although, there seemed to be a strange… _brightness_ to them. Something really strange was going on here and Severus didn't like it one bit.

"How about I make some tea?" Eileen twisted a lock of hair with her fingers, looking up at Tobias through her lashes. He smiled at her and she giggled.

Severus choked on air. He forced himself to calm down and breath, His mother _never_ giggled! Never! He took a few steps up the stairs, he was starting to feel a little light headed from this… whatever it was.

"You alright, sweetie?" Eileen stood on the landing, looking at Severus with concern.

_Sweetie_? Severus hasn't been called that since he was nine.

"Um, I think… I'm going to go lie down. I'm a bit tired... " He said slowly. _And thoroughly freaked out._ Severus went up to his room in a daze, closing the door behind him.

Tobias wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders.

"Think he'll be alright, dear?"

"Of course he'll be alright, honey."

Tobias and Eileen went to the kitchen to make some late night tea, arms twined together.

On the hand railing of the stairs, a small glowing creature inched its way up to the top.

** T**

**A/N: If the glow-in-the-dark bug sounds familiar, I based it off the Souls in The Host by Stephanie Meyer. Sorry, I actually really enjoy that book a great deal. Though I swear I am taking loads of liberties on it. I really hope we can still be friends!**


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own _Harry_ _Potter_ by J.K. Rowling! Had the series been mine, it never would have made it through the rough draft stage! Let's be thankful that I indeed do NOT own Harry Potter!**

**Chapter 2**

** T**

Lily was so happy to finally be back at Hogwarts. She always had a sense of belonging here that she didn't have in her Muggle home. The old castle that was so full of mystery and magic gave her a warm feeling in her belly. She loved this place. It was a home.

Sadly, she was not there just yet. Lily sat in a compartment of Hogwarts Express, the gleaming red train that took the students to the school. She chatted with her friend and housemate Remus Lupin about how summer holidays were.

They were just beginning to discuss about what this year's classes would bring when the compartment door opened to reveal a rather ashen looking Sirius Black. He didn't say a word as he sat next to Remus.

"What happened to you, mate?" Asked Remus in concern.

Sirius shook his head. "Nothing happened to _me_. Not really... It's…" Sirius lapsed into silence, staring blankly at his limp hands in his lap. Whatever horror he had experienced was obviously replaying over and over in his head.

Lily wasn't all that close to Sirius but something really, _really_ life altering must have happened for Sirius to be _speechless_. She couldn't help the sliver of worry wriggling in her heart.

"Why don't you tell us what happened?" She prodded gently. It unnerved her to see that vacant shell-shocked look in those usually brilliant grey eyes.

Sirius gazed at Lily, looking as if he were about to spill it when the compartment door slammed open. "That greasy git is up to something, I just _know_ it!" James Potter, beside himself with fury, plopped down the seat opposite Sirius right next to Lily. He crossed his arms over his chest, huffing angrily.

Lily let out an irritated sigh. "Would you stop being so _dramatic_ and tell us what happened?"

"Well," James started, sounding as if he were telling someone's dirty secret. "Sirius and I were getting our trunks on the train when Sirius dropped his."

"So, we were about to get down and pick it up when Sniv-"—Lily gave James a sharp look— "_Snape_ comes out of nowhere and is all alike, 'good day old chaps, do you need a hand?' and he actually _helps_ lift Sirius' trunk!"

Lily and Remus give James a bland look, clearly not impressed.

"He helped you for once, what's the so bad about that?" Asked Lily,

"Perhaps he's had a change of heart," said Remus. "Did he really say '_old_ _chaps'_?"

"No, but that not the point—"

"Because it's not _normal_!" Blurted Sirius, snapping out of his trance. "I bet he cursed my trunk somehow." Sirius was starting to become agitated, worried about his things being damaged in some fashion.

"How would you know?" Lily was starting to get annoyed now. "Did you see him wave his wand?"

"No but—" Lily broke him off.

"Sirius, please. Then how can you be so sure if you didn't see it?" Lily asked impatiently.

"Because it's _Snape _we're talking about, Lily. It's the kind of thing he does. It's _normal_." Sirius was exasperated as if he were talking to a moron.

Lily huffed, "Unless he's able to do magic without a wand, there's no way he's cursed your trunk in the middle of a crowded train station. He was being nice for once; don't blow it out of proportion!"

Lily left the compartment then, fed up with the childish boys and their irrational behavior.

** T**

Lily was still agitated when the Sorting ceremony began. She clapped and cheered along with the rest of the hall but her attention kept going back to the conversation on the train.

Surely no underage wizard would dare do something like that but considering who it was… and the grudges the self-proclaimed Marauders and Severus had between each other, she really didn't think of putting it past them to honestly try something so _stupid_.

So instead of seeing who got sorted into which house she kept taking peeks at the Slytherin table, the snobbish aristocratic students that filled that house where just as nasty as ever, making snide comments on student's parentage and blood purity, among other crude remarks.

That was one of the biggest reasons the other houses didn't like them.

But she noticed one Slytherin in particular that didn't jeer and boo. Severus Snape. She had to watch and stare before her brain finally registered what she as seeing.

A rather well groomed looking Severus Snape would clap politely for those that didn't go to his house and would congratulate those that did. Lily was shocked. For all the years she knew him, he _never _congratulated anyone for anything. He looked _and_ acted like a whole different person at this very moment.

Unnerved, Lily looked down at the table. It had filled with food. She must have been staring for a long time. A small part of her hoped that it really was a change of heart but then there was a part of her that fought back with the idea that this is some joke he's pulling. Bad eggs don't just suddenly hatch good chickens.

Sirius leaned over, whispering in her ear. "I told you, he's not acting normal. He has to be up to something."

Sirius and Lily looked at each other and then over at the Slytherin table where Severus was.

Lily nodded then attacked a chicken leg with her fork. Whatever is going on, she was going to find out and stop it before anyone got hurt, or worse, expelled.

** T**

A week later and Lily didn't confront Severus like she planned to. There just wasn't any time. Especially now, since she was running late for charms! Lily panicked, rushing down passages and stairs as fast as she could without actually full out running.

It wasn't the act itself that scared her. She knew that Professor Flitwick would just give her a warning for being just a few minutes late. She was afraid of running into Mr. Filch, the keeper of the castle.

The old grumpy Squib terrified her more than anything, even though he couldn't really _do_ anything to her.

Lily rounded a corner running straight into someone behind a stack of books.

"Oh no, I am so sorry!" Lily picked up the fallen books, stacking them haphazardly into a pile in her arms. When she straightened back up, she almost dropped the books back onto the floor. All the color drained from her face.

"Oh, M-Mr. Filch."

"It's quite alight, dearie."

The usually sour man smiled brightly at Lily, showing a mouthful of yellow teeth. He took his books from the stunned Gryffindor bidding her a good day then made his way down the hall, whistling a tune.

_What was that about? _Thought Lily, rather dazed. She expected threats of being hanged by her wrists or something just as harsh. But she didn't get that, she got a friendly greeting. From _Mr. Filch_! He'd never do something like that. Not once in all her years of attending Hogwarts.

Lily jumped when she felt a little furred body twine through her legs. She looked down to see Mrs. Norris trot off after her master, purring loudly.

Being late to class didn't seem to matter anymore. She went to class, getting a warning just as expected from the little Charms professor.

First it was Severus Snape helping out one of his greatest enemies and now Filch, the grumpy old coot greeting her with a warm smile. Something really strange was going on, something really, _really_ strange.

** T**


End file.
